Wülv

I think I've made it abundantly clear that I like werewolves. They're my favorite monster. There was such a big stretch of time in the mid-to-late '90s when McFarlane was the only company making horror toys that I began to give up hope of ever getting another good werewolf figure. Yes, McToys has given us some great lycans before, but that was a long time ago, and lately they've been all stinkers.

Horror's on an upswing, though, and the king of big-budget Hollywood creature features has decided to try his hand at the genre with Stan Winston's Blood Wolves.

Wülv is the lead hunter of the pack. His keen senses allow him to stalk human prey in the cover of night. Come sunrise, his carnage is the only proof that this stealthy predator was ever there.

Wülv is easily the most "basic" figure in the line, a perfect representation of the typical werewolf. He's standing over his kill in the snow, the tattered remains of his shirt falling from his torso and the shattered manacles hanging from his wrists. This is a wolf that has broken out of captivity to rampage across the countryside.

The figure moves at the hips, waist, shoulders, neck, right elbow and wrists. His legs are crooked and bent like a dog's, while his arms are still fairly human. He has recognizble human anatomy, though it is mostly stretched and distended. He's got patches of skin showing through his fur, and his head is fully lupine.

Actually, I'm not a fan of the head. It looks more cartoony than the rest of the body, and the paint could be blended better. From the big saucer eyes to the so-so snarl, Wülv just isn't looking his best. Still, it could be worse - just look at McToys' last attempt.

Stan Winston's figures all come with a nicely detailed base, and Wülv's is a real beauty, displaying a scene of wintery carnage: a bloodied rib cage emerges from the fresh white snow. There are two large pegs to support the figure, and the package includes three loose bones as accessories - hand them to Wülv or tuck them into the tooth-marked torso, it's your choice. The base measures 5 1/4" by 3 1/2".

Wülv wasn't the first figure I intended to get from this line. That figure, Syrran, was cancelled. Still, this is a great toy, with a cool base and surprising amount of poseability.